A fashionable guide to your trip to vancouver
Robson Street Stroll
One of my top places to go shopping is on the infamous Robson Street! My favorite is to start on the West side, and walk down to midtown. This way you hit all the right shops, and endure a bit of cardio, after all, shopping is cardio, right?
I personally like to start at about mid morning and grab a coffee at Breka Bakery or Paul bakery and then head over to the Aritzia. I mostly just grab inspiration and the latest ‘in style’ items because it is a bit too expensive for me! Afterwards, I will head over to Zara where I will usually do some serious damage. Then I run across the street over to Sephora to stop for some refills. At this point, it’s my favorite time, happy hour! I love to stop for a quick bite, and a little drink at either Joe Fortes, CinCin, or Joey’s. After I am all fueled up, I like to look in Club Monaco for the perfect monochromatic inspirations, Blue Ruby for some local well priced jewelry, Browns to try on some shoes, and COS for the best fall sweaters and scarves! At this point you will end up at robson square which brings me to my next destination, The Vancouver Art Gallery.
The Vancouver Art Gallery
The stunning Vancouver Art Gallery is a popular Vancouver landmark, but as a fashionista, it’s one of my favorite spots to feed my inspiration. They always have excellent exhibits, of art, photography, and sometimes fashion! Regardless of what exhibit they have, you are bound to have something that intrigues you. The colors, the textures, the history, all are elements of fashion that can inspire outfits, trends, and even a spark of joy. Alongside the inspiring setting, it is also the perfect place to take photos of your outfits, either inside, or outside on the steps to capture your inner gossip girl moment. They also have a beautiful cafe with an outdoor patio that is perfect for a lunch and a beverage!
Department store time..
When I am in a fancy mood, I start my journey by walking into Nordstroms and look through each of the designer's little stores, usually I am ready to head to the next one when I am so stunned by the crazy expensive prices. They have a really great shoe sale section that is divided by sizes, and I can almost always find a pair that are my size and at least 50% off. As I head upstairs to the women's section, I stop off at their little bistro for a quick bite! After I am sufficiently either broke or sad that I could afford anything, I head over to Holt Renfrew to do it all over again! Holts is even more pricey, but they do also have an excellent sale section. Just last year I got a pair of satin mule style Jimmy Choo’s for only $200! I mostly go to these designer stores to window shop, and gain inspiration, but every once and awhile there is an unbeatable price that I just can’t resist!
Let's go thrifting
Vancouver has some amazing thrift stores that I have found just amazing items from over the years. Now, thrifting is not for everyone, you have to have patience, a good eye, and be willing to pick through some bad ones to find the best one, kind of like dating…
I am certainly not a gatekeeper, so I will share my favorite places, as well as my tips!
Firstly, I would recommend Wildlife thrift, it is located on Granville street, their price range is between $5-$40 per garment, and they have a ton of clothes and accessories as well as household items. I always find lots of Banana Republic, Aritzia, Zara, Vera Moda, and BCBG. I have also found some designer gems like, Chloé, Missoni, Coach, Burberry, Massimo Dutti, and Prada. Another one of my favorites is, My Sister’s Closet. As well as a thrift store, they are also a non-profit organization that donates clothes to battered women in Vancouver. They are located on Howe Street, and their price range is between $10-$100 per item. They have so many brands including a ton of Aritzia, BCBG, Club Monaco, Zara, Juicy Couture, Levi’s, and I have also seen lots of designer brands like Prada, Coach, and Chanel. I can always find amazing jewelry, and shoes here!
South Granville
South Granville is perfect for when you want a break from being downtown, and time to yourself! I like to start at the farthest end, and work my way down. I begin at Turnabout, an amazing luxury resale store that has unreal deals on authenticated designer items. Then I head over to Anthropology, where I live my fall girl dreams! They are such a well crafted store that always has an amazing collection of very well curated garments, I always spend too long in there! Next, I head over to The Latest Scoop, a local Vancouver company that has the most beautiful high quality clothes, as well as super friendly staff. I like coming here for good staple items. For a quick bite, I love going to Bin 4 Burger Lounge, they have an awesome menu for any diet, and great drinks, perfect for a shopping pick me up! Then I love to go to Free People to live my indie girl fantasy, and then TNA to look at the cutest athletic gear, because if it’s cute I am more likely to workout, right?
To finish off I spark my joy with a wonder through a Pottery Barn to plan out my hypothetical future living room.
Luxury Resale
If you want to buy designer items but you are either on a budget, or want to live a more sustainable lifestyle I would recommend either, Tournabot or Mine & Yours. As mentioned before, Turnabout sells authenticated designer items at a lower prices, as well as Aritzia, Banana Republic, and designer secondary lines . They have multiple locations and some really unbelievable prices. I would also recommend Mine & Yours, they have two locations downtown, on Davie Street, and the other on Howe street. I would say that they are more just designer brands, so it is a bit pricey, but still cheaper than the original. At both stores all items are authenticated so you can be confident that they are the real deal.
